X-ray diagnostic machines are X-ray image acquisition machines. These machines are used to obtain images or even sequences of images of an organ situated inside a living being, especially a human being.
X-ray machines have moving parts that enable them to rotate about the patient in different directions. These moving parts are capable of moving in all three dimensions of a space. These moving parts generally consist of an arm having an X-ray tube at one of its ends and a detector at the other one of its ends. This tube sends out an X-ray beam along a direction of emission.
These X-ray machines are used for angiography examinations for diagnostic or interventional purposes.
During these examinations, it is necessary to take X-ray exposures of the region undergoing diagnosis or intervention. To this end, the patient is positioned between the X-ray tube and the detector and more specifically he or she is placed so that the region to be X-rayed is in a facing position.
There presently exists several types of X-ray machines used to carry out the radiography exposures, for example X-ray machines fixed to the ground in an examination room. These X-ray machines have several degrees of freedom by which the X-ray beam can be positioned before the region of interest. However, this type of X-ray machine is not suited to an operating ward. Indeed, for certain examinations, X-rays are needed only at the beginning and at the end of the operation. In between these two points, the emphasis is on access to the patient. Since these angiography machines are fixed to the ground, they cannot be moved away from the patient support table or bed at a time when the presence of the radiography system is not necessary. Furthermore, the stages of placing and moving the patient on the table become more difficult because this bulky system cannot be moved away.
There also exist X-ray machines called “mobile surgical units” that can be moved manually. These machines generally have a large trolley supporting a large number of batteries used to power the X-ray tube. However, this type of X-ray machine has drawbacks. Indeed, these machines are not suited to angiography procedures. For the necessary power delivered by the X-ray tube is not sufficient to perform the angiography procedures which require excellent image quality.
Furthermore, these mobile X-ray machines do not provide for complex angular movements because the diameter of the arm that supports the tube and the detector is not big enough. Similarly, these mobile X-ray machines do not reach sufficient rotation speeds to enable high quality 3D image reconstruction like those needed in a present-day angiography machine. These mobile X-ray machines are also not suited to angiography procedures requiring certain automated motions needed for certain applications, especially 3D reconstruction.
Furthermore, even if the weight of such a machine is half that of an X-ray machine intended for angiography, it is still very difficult to move because of its large size and its weight (about 300 kg).
There are also X-ray machines for angiography that are suspended from the ceiling and can be moved on rails all along the ceiling, through a mobile trolley and by means of an electrical motor. However, this type of X-ray machine has drawbacks. Indeed, an operation room generally has a patient's support table, lighting means, systems to distribute medical fluids, supports for anesthetic equipment, supports for electrical scalpels and supports for perfusion pumps. Most of these systems are fixed to the ceiling around the patient's table depending on the constraints of an operations room, thus cluttering the space around the patient's table. Consequently, owing to the space requirement of the rails fixed to the ceiling and the volume of the X-ray machine, their installation in a surgical ward as an angiography machine is quite impossible.
Furthermore, the fact of mounting an X-ray machine on the ceiling considerably increases the risk of opportunistic infection in the patient. Indeed, these X-ray machines suspended on the ceiling are designed to be positioned above the patient or in his immediate vicinity and therefore in the immediate vicinity of the operating site thus increasing the risk of particles falling from the machine.
Furthermore, this fact of suspending the X-ray machine or machine gives rise to difficulties in cleaning and maintaining this machine properly. Thus, it becomes impossible to mount this type of X-ray machine adapted to environments of varying sterility. Indeed, operating rooms are constantly sterilized and the fact of having rails on which the X-ray machine slides above the patient increases the risks of nosocomial illness or septicemia owing to the difficulty of cleaning these apparatuses
Furthermore, in certain surgical wards, a sterile laminar flow is set up above the patient. In this case, the rails enable the machine to be made to slide on the ceiling with the laminar flow, and this has the effect of blowing particles present on the into the sterile zone.
There also exist X-ray machines for angiography based on the technology of industrial robots generally found in automobile plants. However, X-ray machines of this type have drawbacks. Indeed, the arms fitted to these robots generally have a relatively substantial space requirement for the space available in a surgical ward. Consequently, the movement of these arms creates risks of safety for people working in a surgical ward. Consequently, the installation of these robots as angiography machines in a surgical ward is quite impossible.
The need has become felt for some time now for an X-ray machine suited to what are called hybrid rooms, making it possible: firstly to meet the needs of angiography, especially by a system equipped with an X-ray tube having sufficient power to enable high image quality and 3D reconstruction, and secondly to meet the needs of operating rooms especially through a system that is capable of moving the X-ray machine